Ourém (, ), formerly known as Vila Nova de Ourém, is a municipality in the district of Santarém in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 45,932, in an area of 416.68&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.

The municipality of Ourém contains two cities: Ourém (about 12,000 residents) and Fátima (about 11,000 inhabitants).

The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Pombal (to the north), Alvaiázere (to the northeast), Ferreira do Zêzere and Tomar (to the east), Torres Novas (to the southeast), Alcanena (to the southwest), and Batalha and Leiria (to the west). The main historical attraction of the municipality is the mighty Castle of Ourém. Nevertheless, millions of faithful Catholics come to the parish of Fátima every year to visit Cova da Iria, the site where three child shepherds are said to have had visions of Our Lady of Fátima in 1917. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima has become one of the largest religious tourism sites in the world.

The present Mayor is Luís Miguel Albuquerque, elected by the Social Democratic Party.

Legend

The legend of the name of the village and Oureana is retold by Friar Bernardino de Brito in his Chronicle of the Order of Cister (1602): In a surprise attack on the St John's Day in 1158, a Christian knight, Gonçalo Hermigues and his companions kidnapped a Moorish princess with the famous Arab name of Fatima. The knight took Fatima to a small village of the recently created Kingdom of Portugal, in the Serra de Aire hills. The princess fell in love with the Christian knight and decided to become herself a Christian, taking the name of Oureana. After their marriage, the princess received as prize the town which she called Ourém, derived from her own name.

The name of the parish of Fátima of Ourém is probably related to this legend.

Parishes

thumb|Parishes of the municipality of Ourém

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 13 civil parishes (freguesias):

  • Alburitel
  • Atouguia
  • Caxarias
  • Espite
  • Fátima
  • Freixianda, Ribeira do Farrio e Formigais
  • Gondemaria e Olival
  • Matas e Cercal
  • Nossa Senhora da Piedade
  • Nossa Senhora das Misericórdias
  • Rio de Couros e Casal dos Bernardos
  • Seiça
  • Urqueira

Population

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="10" | Population of Ourém municipality (1801–2011)

|- bgcolor="#c0c0c0"

| align="center" | &nbsp;1801&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1849&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1900&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1930&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1960&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1981&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;1991&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;2001&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;2004&nbsp;

| align="center" | &nbsp;2011&nbsp;

|-

| align="center" | 12,803

| align="center" | 13,033

| align="center" | 25,726

| align="center" | 34,534

| align="center" | 47,511

| align="center" | 41,376

| align="center" | 40,185

| align="center" | 46,216

| align="center" | 49,269

| align="center" | 45,932

|}

International relations

Ourém is twinned with the following cities:

  • Le Plessis-Trévise, France (since 1992)
  • São Filipe, Cape Verde (since 1999)
  • Altötting, Germany (since 2009)
  • Częstochowa, Poland (since 1997)
  • Monapo, Mozambique (since 2001)
  • Lourdes, France
  • Russells Point, USA (since 2018)

Cooperation agreements

  • Pitești, Romania (since 2011)